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Sunday, June 8, 2025 - 1:15 pm PT

6/7/25 - Dustin, Lacie, and Will's Team

Another day well spent in the most awe inspring, humbling terrain I've ever seen. Our team is in the groove and we are making moves in our bid to climb as high as this mountain will allow. Our goal today-- climb to 13,500' from 11 Camp to cache food and supplies for later in our expedition. After debating way too long about what snacks to keep in camp and what to cache (pro tip... do your packing the night before so you aren't the slow poke in the morning like me) we set out for the climb donning our technical gear and crampons up Motorcycle Hill towards our cache objective just past Windy Corner. While the change to crampons from snowshoes was a welcome one, it means we are entering more consequential terrain and great care must go into each and every step. Today we got our first taste of the sharp side of the mountain. While the weather started out nice we soon found out where Windy Corner gets it's name from. As we navigated the labyrinth of crevasses and "holes" we were met with strong winds, blowing snow, and the most raw conditions mother nature has thrown at us yet. Though brutal at times we achieved our objective and morale is high. I won't name names but one of us even brought our snacks up and back down again just to get a little more workout in! This place is unforgiving but we are all learning and growing together as a team. Tomorrow we will enjoy a well deserved rest day before continuing our journey. Oh, and.... HI MUM, LOVE YOU!

RMI Climber Ben

The Four Day climb led by RMI guide Mike Bennet and Ray Holt reached the summit this morning. They reported strong winds at the summit, depsite low wind speeds throughout the climb. They were leaving the crater around 7:55am and are currently on their descent back to Camp Muir. They will return to Ashford this afternoon.

Great work up there!

Looking back on Denali

The glacial environment presents a curious juxtaposition. At times, we witness a frozen, static world where quietude and stillness exist - perhaps much like they are found in the dark of a cave or the bottom of a cold lake. Yet, here they present in such luminous expanses that it boggles the mind and shrivels the self. From the disturbed skyline, pierced by menhirs and minarets, to the inland sea of ice filling the valley floors - and all the intermediate seracs layered and bunted on the surrounding megaliths - the scenery feels utterly immobile and still. Until, quite suddenly, the illusion is shattered in a violent display of force. In an instant there is motion, seen before it’s heard, a blur of ice and rock come free and already flaunting its veil of pulverized and sublimated snow, trundling in booming din. The delicate chandeliers of ice along the ridgelines and faces show themselves for what they happen to be: some of the most powerful natural forces of erosion which exist in, and as the result of, a near constant state of motion, plucking and mashing in a ceaseless flow of primeval destruction. 

A Denali expedition can experience the same contradictions from day to day. We spend multiple days where our only minute movement may be in transit to the bathroom or simply rolling over in bed for fear of pressure ulcers. On these days the mountain itself may feel more alive with weather and with that, even moody or spiteful. We spend many days where we only yield a brutal locomotion to consume or sleep, spending the daylight hours (and there are many) in a constant toil. On these days it may seem that the mountain has drifted back down to a state of rest and wouldn’t note our proceedings, until that serac falls in the distance. Throughout, if you happen to take notice, both the ultimate stillness and the constant motion are in abundance. In this place and in leaving we are so grateful for the opportunity to experience such an atypical environment with a group of people so willing and capable.

Despite not reaching our goal of the summit, I am quite pleased with how much I’ve learned on this trip and how much I enjoyed the company. I am pleased with our safe descent and return home to family and friends. I am hopeful for another attempt at Denali’s summit in the future.

RMI Guide Will Ambler & Team

Monday, June 2, 2025 - 11:25 pm PT

We woke up to the muffled sound of snowfall on our tents. Once we made our way out of the tents, it was obvious that a challenging morning would be ahead of us. Seeing if weather or visibility would improve enough to break trail back uphill, past our cache, and to 11,000' Camp. After wandering around camp, chatting with all the other guide teams and sipping a cup of coffee. We began breakfast, a mellow morning of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and fig bars. As we ate, we waited to see if weather improved, and waited, and waited some more. Sadly weather did not improve, snowfall just became more heavy and the winds began to increase. Around 10A we officially made the call that it would be a weather day. So everyone made their way into the tents and hunkered down. Movies were watched, books were read, and world problems were solved. Finally around 7P we all came back to share dinner. World famous jambalaya chef'd up by Hannah, and made a game plan to hopefully move tomorrow.

Fingers crossed.

RMI Guide Nikki Champion